


The Family You Make

by DraniKitty



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: At least compared to canon, Child Abandonment, F/F, F/M, I realized about 3 chapters in ages are wonky, M/M, No Omnic War AU, Orphan McCree, Shit I'm no good at tagging, Social worker Mercy, There's a small owl that says "Die!" a lot, so there's that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-14
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2018-12-01 21:53:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,186
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11495499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DraniKitty/pseuds/DraniKitty
Summary: Jack and Gabriel thought their life together was complete. Then during a road trip across Route 66, they meet a kid lost in the world.





	1. Route 66

**Author's Note:**

> My first Overwatch fic, so please go easy on me?

They were on vacation, passing through one of those small Arizona towns that never seemed to be on the map and couldn’t be found again, when they met the boy, no more than fifteen and picking pockets, running with a street gang. Gabriel would later call him a bold little shit, while Jack called him a Lost Boy, sold on some Peter Pan-type deal by the thugs who’d ‘taken him in’ when he had nowhere else to go.

Jack’s fingers drummed on the steering wheel as they traveled up Route 66. Most people went east to west. Jack and Gabe had decided to go west to east. The radio, tuned to a local station, played old country songs - Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Hank Williams Sr., Patsy Cline - as assorted desert brush went by. The sun was high, the heat was up, and the windows were down.

“Jack, I’m turnin’ the damn AC on, it’s hotter than Satan’s balls!” Gabe reached for the knob, only to have his hand smacked away. “OW!”

“We’re not turning the air conditioning on, gas ain’t cheap! Besides, we’re almost out.” A sign on the side of the highway caught his eye. “Gas on the next exit. You can cool off in the store.”

In the passenger seat, Gabe huffed and glared out the window. “Your car gets shitty gas mileage. I’m the one from desert stock, and YOUR pasty white ass is the one comfortable in the heat… Figures.”

Jack only grinned, “You know you love me, and my car.” He heard a short laugh from Gabe.

“Damn right.”

The town they pulled into was small - Very small. There had to have only been one road, with a convenience store that hosted what looked to be the only gas station, a smattering of buildings up the road that could only be houses, and down the other way a couple more small businesses. Across from the gas station sat a diner, and behind that, a highway patrol station. Gabe squinted at it all as they got out, frowning.

“This place looks like a real shit show.” He closed his door, walking around. “Think they go out and shoot tin cans for entertainment at night? Burn effigies of the governor or something?”

Jack scoffed, heading for the store, “This isn’t some old tv show from the 50’s or 60’s, Gabe.” He opened the door, holding it and momentarily soaking in the cold air. “Okay, maybe it IS a little hot out here…”

“Told ya.” Following him in, Gabe looked around the store. It was a typical convenience store, with mostly typical snacks and coolers full of the usual drinks. The only people in the place were the Omnic behind the counter and some local kid perusing the snacks. Gabe went straight for the sodas, bracing his hands on the cold glass as he looked at them all. “Hey, Jack, you want Pepsi or Coke?”

“Surprise me!” Looking down at the counter, Jack took in all the scratch tickets available. Maybe next time they stopped, he decided, he’d buy some. Gabe walked up, placing bottles and packages of snacks on the counter. “Getting hungry?”

“Damn right I am, we’ve been driving for hours and-” Time seemed to slow down as several things happened at once. Gabe felt his wallet leave his back pocket, he heard quick footfalls as the only other person in the building ran, the bell over the door jangled and rang, and the clerk leaned over the counter yelling and shaking their fist.

Jack was dumbfounded as he turned and watched the kid book it across the parking lot and up the road. “He just-- GABE!”

Fire burned in Gabriel’s eyes as he tore out the door after the kid. “GET BACK HERE WITH MY WALLET!”

The kid made the classic mistake of looking back at the yell, only for a panic to fill him. “Oh SHIT! SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT!” His legs pumped harder as he aimed to reach the houses, only for his foot to catch a rock and send him sprawling in the dirt. “SHIT! AH!”

Gabe caught up, grabbing the kid by his shirt and rolling him over. “You little shit, you’re gonna pay!”

The boy raised his hands, eyes squeezed shut as he looked away and tried to protect his face. When no blows came, he peeked one eye open to look at the man who’d chased him down. “I- I-”

“Jesse McCree!”

“I’m in deep shit.” When he saw one of the highway patrol people, he scrambled to get away. “Lemme go! I ain’t goin’ back to the home!”

Gabe stood, lifting the boy as a woman in a highway patrol uniform walked over. “First name basis, eh? Is it because it’s a small town, or you gettin’ in trouble all the time?”

The woman took ahold of the boy’s, Jesse’s, arm. “Both, but mostly getting in trouble. We send him off to another foster home, and he’s right back here…” She looked up as Jack approached, before looking back at Jesse. “Come on, you can wait at the station while I call your social worker. Again.”

There was a continued look of panic as Jesse tried to get away. “No! I don’t wanna go back there! My folks’re comin’ back for me, I swear!”

Slowly bending down, Gabe picked up his wallet. Nothing was amiss in it, but his gaze still traveled back to the kid getting pulled away. When he glanced at Jack, he noticed the other man watching. “You’re thinking, aren’t you? You got that look on your face…”

Jack rubbed his face, letting out a long and slow sigh. “Yeah, just… Thinking… Come on, everything’s still on the counter.” He turned and headed back for the store, shoes making steady crunching sounds in the dirt. Gabe watched him go, before looking back to the highway patrol building. “Gabe, come ON! You were complaining about how hot it was, now you’re standing in the sun?”

“Yeah, coming! Coming…” He shoved his hands in his pockets, following Jack. When they got inside, he looked at any posters on the windows. Plenty advertising useless lawn services, a couple lost pets, and the standard-issue lost kids posters. Nothing bore Jesse’s face, though. He went up to the counter, silent as Jack paid the Omnic for the gas and snacks. Gabe remained, staring at the scratch tickets, listening to the jingle as Jack went to fill the tank up. Finally, he looked up at the omnic. “So… What’s the story with that Jesse kid?”

The Omnic, having turned to stock some cigarettes, looked over at Gabe. They compensated for a lack of ability to make facial expressions by tilting their head. “A family was passing through here a couple years ago. They stopped for gas, much as you gentlemen did, and while their son was in the bathroom, the couple left.” The Omnic let out a sound like a sigh, “At first I thought they hadn’t heard me call to them that they were forgetting him, then the longer time passed and they did not return, the more I realized they had simply abandoned him. He does not seem to accept this fact and keeps coming back every time he’s sent to a new foster home, and I fear he is getting involved with a gang that likes to hang around here.” There was another sound like a sigh. “I hope he understands one day, and takes the correct actions instead of throwing his life away.”

Gabe processed the information, thinking it over as he silently purchased a scratch ticket. It was only a $1 ticket, the kind you couldn’t win more than maybe a couple grand on, but it was something, at least. When he reached the car, he found Jack leaning on it, staring across the road at the building behind the diner. “You’re thinking again.”

Jack hummed, scratching at his cheek. “Just kind of wondering… Our house DOES have a lot of room… Couple of spare bedrooms...”

“Jack…”

“And the back yard’s big and all, lots of room…”

“Jack.”

“Plus, what’s one more bike in the garage?”

Gabe let out a sigh, reaching across the car to flick Jack on the back of his head. “Idiot.”

“Ow! What?” Jack turned around, staring at Gabe. “I mean, we could get a dog-”

“Dogs don’t ride bikes. Besides, I don’t like dogs, especially not after Winston’s little omnidog managed to pee on my rhododendron bush.” Gabe opened his door. “Come on, we got a lot of road ahead of us. And from the sounds of it, this place’ll still be here when we head back.”

Jack shook his head, getting in. After a moment, he noticed the scratch ticket. “You bought a ticket.”

“And? It was my money.” Gabe dug a nickel out, preparing to scratch. He paused, though, hand poised as he leaned on the dash. “How about a wager?”

“What kind of wager?”

Shifting, Gabe pointed the nickel at Jack, “I know you’re thinkin’ about that kid, and you wanna take him home like some lost puppy.”

Jack let out a short laugh, “Okay, yeah, you got me, but you were thinking about it, too.” He pointed at Gabe, “Were you asking the clerk about him?”

“No!” Gabe paused, then sighed, “Yes.” He sat back, moving the nickel to his other hand so he could rub his hand over his face, before moving to rub the back of his neck. “Said the kid was just… LEFT here, by his parents. Shitty people, right?”

“Dammit, Gabe…” Jack toyed with the car’s keys. “You’re making this hard.”

“I can make other things hard.”

“Not with a kid around you’re not! The hell was your wager?”

Gabe snapped his fingers and grabbed his nickel. “Right! So, this scratch ticket. If I win anything from it at all, even a dollar, we see about forming MORE of a family, see about adopting the little urchin. If it’s a bust… Well, that’s it. We leave and never look back.”

Jack stared at Gabe for a moment, then asked, “THAT’S your damn wager? Whether or not we adopt a kid? One that, I should probably remind you, stole your wallet.”

“Hey, I’m not the ONLY one who looked at him and thought we needed to take him home and give him a real family!” Gabe started scratching at the ticket. After a moment, he held it up. “Whelp, won my dollar back, at least.”

They lapsed into silence, before Jack said, “So we’re really going to just… Jump into this. This isn’t like adopting a dog or cat from the shelter. Lot of paperwork, lots of waiting for it to process… Home checks...”

“I’d rather have a cat than a dog, for the record.”

“Not my point.”

Gabe sighed, looking out the window. He stared for a moment at the Omnic, cleaning the convenience store. Being such a small town, it probably didn’t get a lot of visitors besides locals, so they probably knew everybody’s face. “Look, Jack… That kid needs SOMEBODY. Why not us?” He looked back over at Jack, putting on a puppy dog face.

“Dammit, Gabe, not the face…” After rubbing a hand over his own face, Jack turned the car on. “Okay, we’ll see what we need to do, what hoops we need to jump through for this kid.” While he’d been THINKING about it, lightly entertained the idea, Gabe had pushed him into the decision and fallen with him. As he drove across the road to the highway patrol building, he reflected on how it was always like that. They’d both want to do something, and both hesitate, and then one would push the other as an excuse to both fall down into the decision. The corner of his mouth twitched as he thought about how that had lead into seeing each other - Jack had been the one to push and follow - as well as getting married - Gabe had been the push that time - and buying a house - Jack again. It was a constant back and forth.

As if reading Jack’s mind, or thinking about the same thing, Gabe suddenly slapped the dash, “Dammit, we’re enabling each other!”

“It took you THAT long to figure it out?” Jack parked, turning to stare at his partner. “We’re married with a HOUSE and you JUST realized we’re enabling each other?”

“Oh, shut up.”

They got out, heading up to the front door. Inside sat the woman who’d collected Jesse, and in a chair, looking glum and glaring at the floor, sat Jesse himself, arms crossed.

The highway patrol officer looked up, blinking in surprise. “Don’t tell me, pressing charges for petty theft?”

“Actually,” Jack paused to clear his throat, “You said he was in the foster care system?”

“I did, more or less, yes. Why?” The woman, whose desk plate said Fareeha, eyed them. “Are you a foster family or something?”

“I ain’t goin’ to another foster home!” Still glaring at the floor, Jesse pulled his arms tighter. “My folks’re comin’ back for me! You’ll see!”

Jack watched the boy for a moment, then looked at Fareeha, “How long until his social worker shows up? We… Might be considering adopting him.”

If the chair hadn’t been secured to the rest of the chairs, it would have clattered to the floor and shoved the others into disarray as Jesse bolted up, “My folks ARE comin’ back! Nobody’s takin’ me anywhere!”

“Jesse!” Fareeha stood up, ready to reprimand. She stopped when Gabe raised a hand, eyeing him skeptically.

“Kid, how long you been here? In this town, waiting for them to come back.”

Jesse’s hands clenched into fists, body shaking. “They’re comin’ back… They just forgot, that’s all!”

“How long’s it been?”

Fareeha sighed, “He’s been here since-”

Gabe put his hand up again. “I’m sorry to interrupt you, ma’am, but I want him to say it.” The apologetic look he gave her was genuine - He wouldn’t otherwise interrupt anybody, especially not a woman, but this was important.

Taking several deep breaths, Jesse glared at Gabe, at Jack, at Fareeha, and then at the floor. Slowly, he sat back down. “They’re… They’re-” His breath caught. “They’re NOT coming back… Are they?” How long HAD it been? How many homes had he been sent to, and subsequently run away from, by now? They sent him places farther and farther across the state, and still he returned to the small town off the highway. He’d age out of the system in a year or two, and then… Where would he go? What would he do?

Walking around her desk, Fareeha sat down next to him, pulling him into a hug. “No… They’re probably not… I’m sorry, Jesse.” She squeezed his shoulders, sighing. “Will you stay at the home they send you to this time? They’re only trying to help you.” Jesse nodded mutely. “Good. Now come on, you’re probably hungry… When’s the last time you ate?”

Rubbing his face with his arm, Jesse mumbled, “Two days ago…”

“Come on, then, there’s probably something in the vending machine I can give you until your social worker gets here.” Fareeha got up, starting to direct Jesse to the back of the station. She was stopped by Jack, who gave her a small smile.

“There’s a diner out front, why don’t you let us feed him something more substantial than vending machine food?”

Fareeha chewed her lip, looking at the clock. Finally, she gave a nod, “It’ll be an hour or two yet before the social worker gets here to pick him up.” Her face cracked into a grin, “He’ll have a real hard time running with a full stomach. My mother’ll make sure of THAT.” With a gesture, she led the way out the door, across the parking lot, and to the front of the diner. As she opened the door, the smells of home-cooked food hit them all in the face.

On some sort of cue, Jesse’s stomach gave a loud growl.

An older woman wearing an eye patch walked over, smiling at them. The diner was populated by a few locals, who each called a greeting to Fareeha, and gave mixed negative “Hey, kid” greetings to Jesse. The woman in the eye patch pulled Fareeha into a hug, still smiling. “Fareeha, you pulled yourself away from the desk for lunch? Real food?”

“No, just bringing two gentlemen over, and…” She motioned, “Jesse.”

The woman looked at Jesse, tsking. “Should put you to work if you insist on coming back, I could use a bus boy.” She then narrowed her one good eye. “Your eyes are red, are you alright?” Jesse only glared at her for a moment, then looked away. “Not talking? Well, alright, then, you can still eat. Come along! Fareeha, you had BETTER stop by tonight, you eat far too many microwave dinners!”

Smiling good-naturedly, Fareeha said, “Yes, mother.” She then waved to Jack and Gabe, “If you’re not back at the station by the time she arrives, I’ll send the social worker over here to meet you.”

“After you canoodle her, I’m sure!”

“MOTHER!”

Jack covered his mouth, stifling a laugh, while most of the diner was filled with chuckles and amused looks. The diner owner ushered her red-faced daughter out the door, still smiling. “Go, go! I’ll fill them all up so much they can’t move!”

As they sat down, Jesse stared out the window. Few, if any, cars came off the highway, and if they did, they only stopped at the gas station. None were familiar to him in the least, none had a well-memorized pattern of bumper stickers, rust, and dings. They all belonged to people who were in and out of the town faster than a rain storm.

Jack watched him for a moment, then cleared his throat. “So, Jesse… Is there anything you like to do, in your free time?” He only got a grunt in response. What a great start this was. “How’re you doing in school? Got a favorite class?”

“Jesus Christ on a BIKE, Jack, those questions are SHIT.”

“Language, Gabe.”

“Whatever…” Gabe scratched his throat, looking at the menu. After they’d ordered, he tapped his finger on the table. Finally he said, “So here’s something for ya, kid - Jack never read or saw Harry Potter before the age of twenty five!”

Jesse blinked, looking up. Slowly, he turned to Jack, who was giving Gabe an absolutely scathing look. “What loser ain’t read Harry Potter while in school?”

“The kind that was absolutely sheltered.” Gabe then pointed at Jesse, “What’s YOUR house?”

“Gryffindor, what else?”

“Bullshit.”

“LANGUAGE, Gabe.”

“What makes you say I ain’t a Gryffindor?” Jesse paused, eyes narrowing. “You a SLYTHERIN?”

“Slytherin and damn proud.”

Jack threw his hands in the air, “Why do I even bother getting you to not curse?”

“Because you still haven’t figured out I’m not stopping.” Pointing at Jesse, Gabe couldn’t help smirking, “You’re more Slytherin than Gryffindor. You’re picking pockets, that’s NOT what a Gryffindor does.” He sat back, accepting a cup of coffee. “Thank you, ma’am!”

“Oh, Ana works just fine!” As she started to leave for the kitchen, she paused and looked back, “And Ravenclaw is a MUCH better house than either Gryffindor or Slytherin.”

While Gabe jokingly glared after her, Jesse covered his mouth to hide a laugh. And just like that, there it was - That opening that was needed to better get to know Jesse McCree. At some point, Jack gave up telling Gabe off for his mouth - Especially when he found out Jesse already HAD a foul mouth of his own. When the door gave a ring, Jesse looked up and immediately went silent, sinking into his seat as the glower returned.

“Jesse McCree, why do you keep winding up here and why do I keep having to drive so far out of my way to come get you?”

Jesse only glared at the woman who’d walked in carrying a briefcase, before he focused on the pie in front of him.

Gabe scooted over in his seat, motioning to the space left. “You must be his social worker.”

“I am.” She held her hand out, shaking first Jack’s, then Gabe’s. “I am Angela Zeigler, I’ve been in charge of Jesse’s file for the past two years. You must be the men Fareeha mentioned, though I am afraid she did not give me your names. I would say that is dangerous, but… Mrs. Amari is far more dangerous.”

Slowly Gabe and Jack turned to look at Ana, who smiled and waved when she noticed them looking over. While Gabe continued to stare, Jack turned back, “Well that might explain the eye patch… Jack Morrison, and this is my bean reaper, Gabe-”

“Jesus Christ, Jack…”

“What? You go out in the back yard with a tiny scythe and pick the beans! Like a reaper!”

Angela watched them, amusement bubbling in her. “Fareeha tells me you’re interested in adopting Jesse. Before we begin any processes and paperwork, I must ask you, why?” It was a fair question. After all, people usually thought long and hard about adoption. And then, it was usually the infants, the toddlers, the young children under ten that got adopted. Jesse was sixteen, two years away from aging out of the system, of becoming another young man with no direction and nobody to guide him through life. Most people considered him simply too old to even think about adopting. It was still the harsh reality of teenagers in the foster care system, far too many decades after it should have stopped being.

Both Jack and Gabe sat back, thinking on the question. It was, to be fair, a valid question. They looked at each other, sharing some silent conversation, before Jack said, “Sometimes you don’t realize what’s missing until you see it in front of you.” Then he smiled, “Gabe’s owl really doesn’t fill that gap.”

Angela was prepared to question the fact they had an owl, only for Jesse to cut her off, “You have an OWL? An actual OWL?” The look on his face could only be referred to as awe and wonder. It was a look Angela had never seen on Jesse’s face before and wanted to see more often.

“Oh, yeah, Reaper.” Pulling out his phone, Gabe pulled up a picture. “Even learned to talk! ‘Course all he can say is ‘die’...” When he saw the alarmed and questioning look both Angela and Jesse gave him, Gabe held his hands up, “Hey, there was a wasp in the house and we didn’t have wasp spray! I only had a cheap sandal!”

Angela let out a sigh, shaking her head. “Okay, that’s less… Alarming. What are you gentlemen up to right now, then? Why are you here in this little town? And who’s watching your… Frankly very tiny owl. Is that a miniature?”

“Yeah, Reaper’s a miniature.” Gabe put his phone away. “The neighbors are watching him while we’re on vacation, though it’s looking like it might potentially cut short for a good reason.” At this, he looked at Jesse.

While Jesse shifted in his seat, Angela took out papers. “Well, before the adoption process can even begin, there are forms to be filled out and such. Do you live in-state? Tucson, perhaps?”

Jack shook his head, “No, we live in LA. It’s not Beverly Hills, but it’s still a decent neighborhood. Gated, safe... “ He only got a displeased hum in return. “Is something wrong with LA?”

“It’s not so much that, it’s…” Angela paused in what she’d been writing down, tapping the pen cap against the table. “Jesse is in the foster care system for Arizona. Inter-state adoptions are not something that is often… DONE these days. We try to keep children close to what they know best, especially close to towns they know, neighborhoods… Close to the homes they’ve known. At this point, if anybody was going to adopt Jesse, it’d be preferably somebody from this town, if only because that would keep him here, but I don’t see either that happening, or you two uprooting. I’ll have to speak to my superiors, and that will be taken into consideration along with everything else.” She took new forms out, pausing for a moment to go back and forth between Jack and Gabe. “I’m sorry, I’m not sure who to hand these to…”

There was a shared look between Gabe and Jack, before Jack motioned to Gabe, who accepted the forms. “So I’m guessing we fill these out, and turn them in to the local social services office near us?”

“That would be wise, yes.” Opening her pen back up, Angela said, “It’d be best to do that as soon as you possibly can. They will, of course, want to do a home inspection, and meet… Reaper… Possibly even your neighbors.” She continued on, the paperwork she had out slowly getting filled in. By the time they finished, the sun was halfway into its march west from the noon position, heading fast toward sunset.

Angela finally rose, shaking first Gabe’s and then Jack’s hand. “It has been a pleasure speaking to you, gentlemen. I will have my supervisors contact Social Services in your city, and we might get this moving. Jesse, come along.”

Jack moved, allowing Jesse to get up. “Hey, no need to look so glum, we’ll be meeting again in no time! Either in LA, or Tucson!”

Jesse only gave a small grunt, following Angela out to her car. He cast one last look at Jack and Gabe, before he got in the back seat.

Gabe sighed, watching them leave, then turned to Jack. “Guess we’re heading back to LA and the trip’s over.”

“Yeah, but there’s time for other trips. Besides…” He sat down next to Gabe, taking his hand. “This would mean we could take trips during the summer… With Jesse.” If, of course, they were approved. Checking the time, Jack let out a small sigh. “We should get going, so it’s not too late when we get back.” Gabe nodded, then followed Jack to pay for lunch. As they left, they gave Ana a wave. They had some work ahead of them at home, and both were now eager to get to it.


	2. Getting ready

A butterfly landed delicately on one of the many flowering bushes in the front yard. With an electronic bark, Athena chased it away before returning to Winston’s side. He smiled, trimming one of the azaleas. “You should really leave the butterflies alone, Athena. They’re just doing what butterflies do.”   
  
A question mark appeared on the digital display of Athena’s face. “But it was an intruder, do I not chase away the intruders?”   
  
“Just a butterfly, and you don’t chase intruders.” Winston paused, examining where he’d clipped off part of the azalea. “You let one of us know so that we can deal with it.”   
  
The omnidog let out a sad sound, before turning and starting to let out another electronic bark. “The neighbors are home!” She ran in a small circle. “The neighbors are home!”   
  
Winston sat back, blinking as he looked up the road. Indeed, there was Jack’s car, returning from whence it’d gone. “That’s strange… They were supposed to be gone for a couple weeks.” He set his pruning shears down, moving over to the low brick wall that separated their yards. “Jack, Gabriel. What are you doing back already?”   
  
Gabe got out, stretching. “Stopped for gas, got my pocket picked by a kid, and now we’re adopting him.” When he saw the confused look on the gorilla’s face, he elaborated, “The kid was abandoned there, he’s gonna age out of the system soon, and… I dunno…”   
  
“He found his parental calling.”   
  
“Hey, you were thinking the EXACT same thing!”   
  
“Yeah, with a cleaner vernacular, too.”   
  
Winston chuckled, watching them. “And just how old is this kid you’ve both fallen head over heels in parental love for?”   
  
“Sixteen, going on seventeen… Gabe, don’t you dare start-” From the back of the car came Gabe’s humming of the song from The Sound of Music. “Dammit.”   
  
Again Winston chuckled. “Should I bring Reaper back over? I’m sure he’ll be happy to see his papi again.”   
  
Gabe’s head popped out around the back of the car as he lifted a bag out. “Yes. The social worker will want to meet him first… Feather. And the neighbors I trust enough with my bird.”   
  
“Of course. Just make sure you warn them about what I am.” Winston turned, heading back for his house. “Every time we get a new mail carrier, they about run away screaming when I open the door.” Did none of them look at the sign? “Athena, leave Gabriel alone.”   
  
Athena paused, looking over at Winston. The antenna that served as her tail slowed in its wagging, before she sat down. “But the neighbors need proper greeting upon their return home!”   
  
“Athena…”   
  
The omnidog let out an electronic bark, before jumping the wall to chase after Winston. Jack let out an amused sound, watching her go, before he turned back to Gabe. “Oh, don’t look at her like that. Come on, let’s get this stuff back inside.”   
  
“She peed on my plants, Jack.”   
  
“She’s an omnic canine, omnics don’t pee. They don’t… Really do a lot of bodily functions.” Shifting the bag he was carrying, Jack unlocked the door. As it swung open, he paused, eyes narrowing as he strained his ears.   
  
Gabe stopped behind him, also listening. Faintly, he could hear the television in their bedroom. They shared a look, before each slowly setting their bags down to grab makeshift weapons - Umbrellas. Slowly, they crept through the house, drawing closer to the master bedroom. As whatever show was on produced a comedic moment, they heard sharp and high laughter.   
  
When they reached the door, Jack held up one hand, counting down as he formed a fist before pointing at the door. With joint yells, they burst through the bedroom door, umbrellas held up in the attack position.   
  
The girl on the bed let out a surprised scream, falling off the side. When she popped up and saw who it was, she grabbed a pillow and threw it at them. “What the hell is WRONG with you two?!”   
  
Frozen, both Jack and Gabe stared, before slowly lowering their umbrellas. Gabe walked around the bed, pointing, “What are you doing in here? How did you get in? And why the hell aren’t you at HOME, Sombra?”   
  
Sombra sat back on the bed, shrugging. “Family was too much. Besides, why wouldn’t I want to visit my FAVORITE uncles in the whole wide world?”   
  
“Because we were on a road trip.” Gabe made a shooing motion. “Get off our bed so we can get all the crumbs off it! And how did you even get IN here? The alarm was-”   
  
“Because she hacked it, Gabe, she always does.”   
  
Sombra smiled cheekily at Gabe, scooting off the bed. “Just think, if I wasn’t here, something could have happened to your house! Like a short causing a fire in the middle of the night! Why, with nobody home, you’d have to rely on the neighbors to call the fire department, and by the time they arrived, the house would be gone!”   
  
Gabe rubbed a hand on his face, letting out a sigh. “I’ll give you that one. But that’s not the problem here, it’s that you broke into our house. Again. While we weren’t even home!”   
  
“Hey, in my defense, I didn’t know you were on vacation.” Sombra pointed an accusing finger at Gabe, “Some best friend YOU are! When’s the last time you and my dad talked?”   
  
Sweeping up Cheeto crumbs from the floor, Jack said, “She’s got you there, Gabe.”   
  
“See, Uncle Jack agrees with me.” She grabbed the bowl she’d been eating from, picking popcorn up off the bed spread. “How long were you on vacation, anyway? I’ve only been here since this morning.”   
  
“Was supposed to take a couple weeks, but then we stopped for gas, and…” Gabe motioned with his hand, the other on his hip.   
  
“Congratulations, Sombra, you may be getting a cousin that’s NOT a bird.” At her confused sound, Jack stood up. “It’s a bit to explain, but you know that freaky hive-mind thing we have going on? It struck again with this kid abandoned out in the desert… Real raised-by-wolves type, though being the desert, it’s more coyotes…”   
  
“Fucking Christ, Jack he wasn’t raised by wolves OR coyotes, he’s sixteen!” Gabe paused. “He was taken in by vultures, at least get that right.”   
  
Sombra stifled a laugh, “So you’re trying your hand at the parenting game with somebody who’s already practically an adult… No babies ever after?”   
  
Gabe took the bowl, “I have a baby, his name is Reaper. Besides, not everybody who needs a family the most is an infant through toddler.” He then motioned downstairs toward the neighboring house vaguely, “Now do me a favor while you’re here and go get Reaper from Winston. It’s been three whole days and I miss my bird.”   
  
The stifled laughter bubbled free as Sombra left the room. “Three WHOLE days without your midget owl!” Still laughing, she went out the back door and hopped the back wall. “Hey, Lena, I’m here for Uncle Gabe’s flying beanbag.”   
  
Lena fell over as the weed she’d been pulling on finally gave. “They’re back already?” She paused. “Did you go with them, love?”   
  
“Nah, they met a stray kid and they’re try’na bring it home, but Uncle Gabe misses his little beanbag.” She glanced inside, where she spied Winston getting the temporary cage from its hook. When the gorilla looked outside, she smiled at waved.   
  
Sliding the glass door open, Winston walked out, holding Reaper’s vacation cage. “You broke into your uncles’ house again.”   
  
Sombra accepted the tiny owl. “You don’t sound surprised.” She reached in, scratching Reaper’s cheek. “Eh, pequeño bastardo.” Her reward was a pair of blissfully closed eyes and fluffing feathers.   
  
“Really it only tells me you’re arguing with your parents again.” Winston pushed his glasses back up onto his nose, looking over at the house. “My only complaint is you should let us know.” When he looked over, he saw the looks both Sombra and Lena were giving him. “Not so we can call your parents! So that we know it’s you in there, not some intruder. And so we can check on you.”   
  
“What, think I can’t take care of myself or something?” Shifting the cage, Sombra gave a wave of her hand. “I haven’t burned that house down once!”   
  
In his cage, Reaper opened his eyes. Why had the scratching stopped?! He looked up at Sombra, eyes narrowing. “Die! Die die! Die!”   
  
Sombra stopped, looking at the owl. She looked then at Winston and Lena, who both looked just as surprised as she was. “Okay so… I’m gonna go, I got some questions for Uncle Gabe now.” Lena and Winston only nodded, watching her hop back over the fence.   
  
Gabe was checking the fridge when Sombra set the cage on the counter. “Uncle Gabe, WHY is your bird saying die?”   
  
“Because I accidentally taught him how to say it.” He closed the fridge, turning to the cage. “Hola mi pequeño bebé, papá te extrañó!”   
  
To his credit, the tiny owl leaned in to the finger that was scratching his cheek and, eyes closed, happily said, “Die! Die die!”   
  
An exasperated sigh came from Sombra, “And HOW did you teach him to say die? I thought owls couldn’t learn that kind of stuff!”   
  
Pointing in the general vicinity of the back yard, Gabe said, “A wasp came in and I only had a cheap sandal to kill it with, and you know what happens when I’m killing a wasp.” He got a quiet ‘oh’ in response. “As for owls learning stuff, everything’s full of surprises. Even owls.” Gabe opened the cage door, putting his hand in. Reaper let out another ‘die’ before hopping on the hand and making his way up Gabe’s arm to his shoulder, where the small avian began to give his favorite human loving nibbles on the hair.   
  
Sombra only shook her head. “Okay then… So, about this kid you’re adopting… When’s he get here?”   
  
Jack began ticking off a list on his fingers, “We have to go see the local CPS people first, there’s paperwork we need to turn in, other paperwork we need to fill out, probably gotta see a judge, home inspection, all that fun stuff.”   
  
“That’s… A lot of work.” Pulling herself onto the counter, Sombra stretched her legs out, “TV makes it look so easy.”   
  
Gabe gently stroked Reaper’s cheek, “Not everything in life is easy like on TV. Just like not everything is as difficult as it looks on TV. They just play some of that crap up for drama.”   
  
“I guess that makes sense…” She leaned back, bracing her hands on the counter space behind her. “So, does this mean I lose my room here?”   
  
“Not at all, but get your ass off the counter, that’s not where butts go.”   
  
Sombra gave her uncle a cheeky grin, sliding off the counter. When she got close, Reaper fluttered his wings and hopped from Gabe’s shoulder to Sombra’s, happily nibbling on her hair. “Come on, that tickles!”   
  
“Die!”   
  


* * *

  
  
There were few things in life Jesse was certain of anymore. He was part of the foster care system, a system that, even some two hundred years, give or take, after its creation, still let down far too many children, cast far too many of them into the adult world upon their eighteenth birthday ill-prepared to handle any of what life threw at them. He was no longer certain that he’d be one of those untold faceless numbers, when before he had been, so sure that he’d age out of the system and have to scrape and save until he could go find his parents.   
  
Jesse knew with certainty that, despite the frosty reception they often received, Ms. Zeigler and Officer Amari both had his best interest at heart, wanted to see him saved from the same fate as the near-numberless other people before him. Even if he never faced actually being adopted, thanks in part to his age, he knew with absolute certainty they wanted him to at least finish his time in the system with even a permanent foster placement. He was certain he didn’t want that, though.   
  
The last thing Jesse McCree was certain about, that nobody knew, was that he yearned for that affection, the care he saw so many other children receive, that loving look they got from their parents as they were picked up from school, or out together getting ice cream or seeing a movie. He knew those children, and even those teens, went home to their families and were cared for, hugged, given life lessons. And with a sad certainty, he knew he’d never had that.   
  
There was one other thing Jesse had, and that was hope. For two long years it had been hope that his parents would come back for him, remember they’d left their only son at a gas station in a town that was hardly a blip on the map. Hope always welled in him when he’d see a car come off the westbound highway, only for it to not be the right one, or the wrong year model, or have the wrong people in it. But now, the hope had been replaced, hesitantly, with a different kind.   
  
In the same day he’d finally accepted that the people who’d sired and birthed him, respectively, were not coming back, there were two people who wanted to take him home, to look at him with that same love he saw so many other kids get, to teach him life lessons, give him that positive attention he so deeply craved.   
  
A wad of paper bounced off his head, bringing him out of his thoughts. He turned and glared at the offender who’d thrown it, “Hey, what was that for?!”   
  
The young omnic who’d flicked the paper at him let out an amused hum, “You are lost in thought. What is on your mind?”   
  
If Jesse didn’t know better, he’d swear the omnic was smiling. “Just… Thinkin’.” His attention went back to the window, watching the road approaching the monastery. It was, by far, the strangest place he’d been put. They were an outcrop group of Shambali monks, a mixture of human and omnic, peacefully coexisting in the Arizona desert.   
  
Any room the omnics spent a lot of time in tended to be freezing cold, quite naturally.   
  
“What are you thinking about?”   
  
Jesse glanced back at the omnic, then the window. Any moment… That car would pull in. Either the men that wanted to adopt him, or Miss Zeigler’s. “About what I’m gonna do when I go… Home…” It felt strange, to call where he was going home, when he’d wanted for two long years to return to the home he HAD known. He didn’t know the way to it, though, or which place his birth parents were living. They’d had so many places that had been CALLED home but never felt LIKE home.   
  
The omnic was silent, before he moved closer. “You have hope, but you have doubts.”   
  
Shifting, Jesse turned fully to the omnic. “I just… Part of me keeps expecting to wake up, and none of this is real, I’m just in another foster home, and I’m less than the family’s natural kids, only there so they can get a paycheck from the state… And then I’ll just… Just…” He motioned at some vague point on the horizon, “I dunno, run away? Because clearly nobody REALLY wants me, do they? Too old, too f- messed up, too…” Jesse paused, feeling a hand on his shoulder.   
  
If the omnic could smile, he probably would have. “And there is where one of your problems with yourself is. You are your own worst enemy, in this respect.” The omnic motioned toward where many of the monks were in meditation and prayer, “Master Mondatta has spoken well of these men that wish to make you a part of their family. Whenever a child is placed within our care until their adoptions are finalized, he reads everything about the family that they will become part of.”   
  
“Does he ever… Make a mistake about them?”   
  
“Now and then, yes. But nobody is perfect.” The omnic then motioned, “Come, Jesse, let us meditate together. Perhaps outside? The sun is wonderful at this time of day.”   
  
Jesse got up, following the young monk. They passed many other omnics in the halls, as well as a few humans. There were a couple who were younger than Jesse, following along quietly and obediently behind the adults. “There’s… A lot more kids here than I thought there’d be… Um…” He glanced at the omnic he was following.   
  
The omnic tilted his head, “Zenyatta. And a few of the children, Master Mondatta felt would not be best suited with the families seeking to adopt them. Most, though, were placed here on emergency, and then did not wish to leave. There is one thing many omnics and humans share, and it is an inherent need for structure and stability. The monastery offers both.” He opened a door, leading Jesse out into a rock garden, “But a few are like you, transient, only here for a short while. We do what we can while they are here to help, to assist them in working through their anger, their pain, their sorrow, their confused emotions about their past, their present, and what their future may be.” He motioned to a large rock, “Please, have a seat.”   
  
Climbing onto the rock, Jesse settled. After a moment, he tried to emulate Zenyatta’s positioning, only to wince. He changed how his legs were crossed, finding a more comfortable position. “I guess that makes sense… Is that why they sent me here, because I’ve been… Well… A problem?”   
  
“Problems are only problems so long as you think they are a problem.” Zenyatta found what he deemed a good meditation position, hovering just slightly off the ground. It was nowhere near as much as what Mondatta was capable of, or even some of the other more enlightened omnics, but it was still a slight hover, at least. They lapsed into silence, as the sun moved across the sky. Finally, it was Zenyatta who broke the silence, “It is now entirely too quiet for me, I’m afraid.”   
  
“You’re not a very good monk, are you?”   
  
Zenyatta chuckled, “I AM still quite young, Jesse. You are older than I am.”   
  
Jesse gave a start, nearly falling off his rock in surprise. “Wait, YOU’RE younger than ME? But you look like an adult!” Or as much of an adult as an omnic could. “You act and talk like one!”   
  
“Do I?” Slowly, Zenyatta rose. “You have clearly not been watching Master Mondatta or any of the much older omnics in the monastery much, then, if you think I am a zion of maturity. I have some balloons in my room filled with jello waiting to drop on unsuspecting monks, if you wish to join me?”   
  
Jesse stared for a moment, before he began to laugh, “Alright, that sounds kinda fun!” He hopped off the rock, following Zenyatta through the building and up three flights of stairs.   
  
The evening proceeded to be punctuated by yells of surprise.   
  


* * *

  
  
A finger slid along the kitchen counter, before being lifted for inspection. The social worker, Satya Vaswani, hummed to herself. She looked around the kitchen, checked in the cupboards, fridge, and freezer, and even looked at the trash bin. Finally, her eyes fell on Reaper. “You have an owl for a pet. And it has no cage.”  
  
Gabe slowly crossed his arms. “Him flying at anybody isn’t a problem, his right wing was broken. By the time he was found, it was too late to fix.”  
  
Reaper watched this strange woman in his home, his hollow. He could tell at a glance that she made his humans nervous. When she got close, his feathers ruffled to make him look bigger as he hissed, “Diiiiiie.”  
  
Ms. Vaswani’s eyes widened for a moment, before she looked at Gabe and Jack, “Your owl can SPEAK.”  
  
There was silence before Gabe said, “Nothing on what he SAID? Frankly the fact he can talk was amazing to us, too.” He went over, gently stroking Reaper’s head. “Come on, buddy, she’s a friend.” When he held his hand out, the tiny owl hopped on.  
  
Climbing up Gabe’s shoulder, he started nibbling at his human’s ear. His gaze returned to Ms. Vaswani, “Die.”  
  
“No, she’s friendly. She’s here for a reason. You like Sombra, yeah?”  
  
Ah, bright human! “Die!” Reaper fluffed his feathers, giving the best impression an owl could of a smile.  
  
“Yeah, you like Sombra. Your favorite cousin! Well, Ms. Vaswani is making it all good with her employers that you get a brother!” Gaber scratched Reaper’s cheek, earning a happy sound. “You want a brother, right? Somebody else you can nibble on the hair of! Now, you wanna be a good boy for Ms. Vaswani and let her say hi?”  
  
Reaper clicked his beak, turning his head to nibble on Gabe’s beard and ear again, before he turned to Ms. Vaswani.  
  
To her credit, she’d held her professional cool. “And he will not bite? That IS a valid concern, even when bringing an older teenager into the house.”  
  
Holding his hand up so Reaper stepped onto it, Gabe gave a slight shrug. “I can’t guarantee he won’t bite. But like people can be stupider than you’d think they could, owls can be smarter than you’d think they are.” He held the bird up, “And that’s also why he’s not an animal ambassador, he has problems with people. Reaper, behave.”  
  
Ms. Vaswani eyed the bird, then slowly held her hand out. Reaper looked at it, then stretched one foot out. It waved for a moment, before grasping, and the owl moved fully to her hand. When she smiled, he tilted his head, letting out a small ‘die’. “Well, aren’t you a charming little owl, now that you’re not so distrusting.” She slowly held her other hand up in the way she’d seen Gabe hold his up and was rewarded with it getting butted, the inarguable permission to scratch Reaper’s cheek. “You DO like that, don’t you? So handsome…”  
  
In no time, Reaper was perched on her shoulder, though he didn’t nibble her ear or hair like he did with His Humans. This one would do as a perch, at least, and he remained there for the duration of the home inspection.  
  
When Ms. Vaswani opened one of the bedroom doors, she raised an eyebrow. “I thought you had no children.”  
  
Jack and Gabe didn’t have to look in to see what room she was looking at. Gabe sighed, rubbing his face. “My niece stays with us sometimes.”  
  
“Your… Niece?”  
  
“Okay, KIND of niece. Her father and I go back a long time, we’re practically brothers. It’s that kind of friendship where,” Gabe motioned, “His kids call me their uncle. But Sombra likes staying here now and then.” Or… Often enough that she had her own room with a few posters and things on the wall, her own dresser full of her own clothing, her own bed with her own bedding… She was two steps away from permanently moving in with them.  
  
Ms. Vaswani let out a hum, before pulling up the file. “Ah, there it is. A momentary lapse in memory.” She then looked up, “And which room will be Jesse’s?”  
  
Jack motioned up the hall, “This one right here.” He opened the door, revealing a room that, so far, only had a bed, a dresser, and a desk. “We figured we’d let him decorate it how he likes, save that part for last. That way there’s nothing he dislikes in there, and no guessing games.”  
  
Ms. Vaswani nodded, making notes, “A wise choice, I think.” She looked over her notes, ticking things off with a gentle jab of her pen, “Mr. Reyes, you work at the zoo as a veterinarian. Mr. Morrison, you work at the local high school as a physical education teacher. Your best friend’s daughter, who is more or less your niece in everything but blood, stays here sometimes and has her own room, you keep a burrowing owl as a pet as he would not make a good animal ambassador, your kitchen is well stocked and clean, as is the whole house, you have a home security system, your neighborhood is relatively safe, and in the fall Jesse will be attending the same high school Mr. Morrison works at. Am I all caught up?”  
  
Nodding, Jack said, “Sounds about up to speed, yeah. So, just meeting the neighbors now?”  
  
“Yes, that would be prudent.”  
  
“Okay,” Jack held a hand up as they walked down the stairs, “We just have to warn you about one detail with Winston, he’s a gorilla.”  
  
Ms. Vaswani stopped just at the front door, blinking. “Pardon? Did you say he’s… A gorilla?”  
  
Gabe pointed up at the sky, “From the Horizon Lunar Colony. Transferred here when he could, and rents a room with the ladies next door.”  
  
She eyed him skeptically, but stepped outside regardless. “Lead the way, gentlemen.”


	3. That new-home feeling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel I must apologize for how long it takes me between chapters, I can't quite do the whole "Write it all ahead" thing, and I work full-time retail that winds up being very long hours due to transportation circumstances. This has taken me since... The last update to write, but hey, finally here! \o/

Los Angeles was very different from anything Jesse had ever known. He looked around at the airport alone, taking it all in as best he could. There were so many more people and omnics than he was used to, with the only familiar face present being Ms. Zeigler. “Shit this place is… HUGE.”   
  
“Language, Jesse. And yes it is.” Angela waited until Jesse was paying attention to her again and led the way through the airport. “We’ll be meeting your new social worker at the baggage claim, and then head to your new home.” She paused when Jesse got distracted by a news stand, smiling slightly. “Are you excited?”   
  
Jesse looked up, shifting his bag on his shoulder. It had all his worldly possessions, of which there weren’t many. Mostly, it was just clothes. “I… Guess.” He licked his dry lips, looking around the airport again. “Nervous, most… Ly...” He trailed off, eyes lighting up as he suddenly pointed at a shop, “Oh my god COWBOY HATS!”   
  
And just like that, he was running off, Angela after him and stifling a small laugh. “So easily distracted…” She looked at all the cowboy gear in the shop, mostly based on old Hollywood movies from when her parents and previous generations were children. She found Jesse looking at hats, inspecting each one. Many were simple felt, a few were actual leather.   
  
And then he found the one that made him gasp the softest gasp Angela had ever heard from the boy, carefully picking the hat up. The leather was brown, with a band around the top, and what looked like fake bronze bullet casings on the band. At the center was what looked like a bronze badge, decorated with a circle that had a v-shaped mark through it. “It’s so… Beautiful…”   
  
“Then it is yours, Jesse.” Gently, Angela took the hat, heading to the counter. She paid no mind to the price tag, happy to pay for it. It was something that would be all Jesse’s, something new for the start to his new life. The look of wonder and joy on his face as she turned and placed it on his head was well worth it. “There you go, like a real cowboy!”   
  
Jesse grinned, big and wide, as he pulled the hat down on either side of his head. It was his, all his! Just like in the western magazines he’d stolen from the gas station! “Thanks, Miss Zeigler!” He took it off long enough to remove the tag, then settled it proudly back on his head.   
  
When they reached the baggage claim, they found a woman with a prosthetic left arm waiting, checking her phone. Angela walked up to her and asked, “Satya Vaswani?”   
  
The woman looked up, glancing at the other, nodding, “You must be Miss Zeigler.” Her gaze then traveled over, “And you must be Jesse.” She put her real hand out, shaking first Angela’s and then Jesse’s. “It is a pleasure to meet you. Come, grab your bags and I will take you to your hotel.” As she lead the way, she glanced at Jesse again, “You had no hats in the photos. Is it new?”   
  
Jesse pulled the sides of it down again, smiling as it obscured part of his face. “Miss Zeigler just got it for me!”   
  
Satya nodded, a small smile gracing her lips, “It looks good on you. You look like you could…” She paused. “What is the phrase? Stone the look?”   
  
“Rock the look.”   
  
“Yes, that. Thank you, Miss Zeigler.”   
  
Waving her hand, Angela said, “Please, Angela works.”   
  
As soon as they stepped outside, Jesse was looking around at everything. So far, though, his view was limited. From the airport, there wasn’t a whole lot to see without being in the air, and they were on the ground. He frowned, feeling disappointment rise. “I thought this’d look better…”   
  
Satya placed a hand on his shoulder, “It is much bigger than this, believe me. Come, my car is this way. We will go to the hotel, you will rest, and tomorrow afternoon, you will see your new home.”   
  
His new home… Elation filled Jesse, but it was soon chased by anxiety. What if he didn’t like it? What if he didn’t like the school? What would other students think of him? What if he wound up not getting along with Jack and Gabe as much as he had at the diner? He got into the backseat, hugging his bag close, and watched the parking garage melt away, soon followed by the airport. As they hit the freeway, he looked up and found himself mesmerized by the city of Los Angeles lighting up with the setting sun.   
  
Even if things didn’t work out, he could get lost here and still start a new life.   
  


* * *

  
  
Sombra sat back on the sofa, munching on popcorn as she watched Jack and Gabe running around. Every time one passed by, she turned her head to follow. On the back of the sofa, Reaper watched as well. “Die?”   
  
She reached up, scratching his cheek, “Yeah, they’re freakin’ out ‘cause your brother’s comin’ today!”   
  
“Die!” Reaper spread his wings, fluttering them. The left wing didn’t stretch all the way out, hindered in several places from doing so. When he folded his wings back down, his wing appeared no different from the other.   
  
Both their gazes turned to the window as a car pulled up. Picking up a piece of popcorn, Sombra flicked it, grinning as it bounced off Jack’s ear, “Hey, guess what! The package is here!”   
  
Picking the popcorn up off the floor, Jack glowered slightly, “Don’t call him a  _ package _ , he’s not a parcel delivered by UPS or something.”   
  
“No,” Sombra said, setting the bowl aside, “But it does make him sound like, I dunno, the president.” She held an imaginary walkie, speaking into it, “Ksh, the package is secure! Ksh!”   
  
The joke made both Jack and Gabe stop to laugh, before they turned at the knocking door. Reaper stepped from the back of the sofa to Sombra’s shoulder, letting out an excited, “Die!”   
  
Gabriel opened the door, smiling at Ms. Vaswani and Ms. Zeigler, “Hi, welcome back, Ms. Vaswani, welcome, Ms. Zeigler! And welcome, Jesse.”   
  
“Please, call me Angela! Ms. Zeigler feels far too formal.” Behind her, Jesse was trying to peek in, curious about the house he was going to move into.   
  
Motioning in, Gabe stepped aside, “Please come in! Jack’s getting something for us all to drink. Hello again, Jesse!”   
  
As they walked in, Jesse fully looked around. When he’d heard ‘Los Angeles’ he’d thought of the old television show one of his foster parents had enjoyed, Fresh Prince of Bel Aire, and had expected a house like that. This… This was almost as big, he guessed. More like an upgraded suburb.   
  
His attention was soon drawn to a girl watching him. “Um… Howdy?”   
  
She walked around him, stroking the owl on her shoulder, taking him in. “Well, I’ll give my uncles this much… You ain’t ugly.”   
  
“SOMBRA!”   
  
“Okay, he actually looks like you two, does THAT help?” Sombra gave Gabe a baleful look, though she still grinned. When he made a ‘watching you’ motion with his fingers, she only waved at him, then turned back to Jesse, “So I’m Sombra, your new… Sort of cousin.”   
  
“Sort of cousin…”   
  
“Yeah. My dad’s, like… Super close to Uncle Gabe, best friends and all that fun shit-”   
  
Jack leaned out of the kitchen, scowling, “Language.”   
  
“STUFF.”   
  
“Better!”   
  
Letting out a huff, Sombra scratched Reaper’s cheek. “Anyway! Super close, yadda yadda yadda, so Gabe’s basically my uncle in all but blood and since he married Mr. Farmboy, that makes HIM my uncle, too, and me your sorta cousin. Oh yeah and this is Reaper.”   
  
Jesse eyed the owl, “That’s a real tiny owl. When he said miniature, I didn’t expect… THAT small.” He hesitated to offer his hand, not wanting to risk the sharp claws and beak. “Is he, uh… Is he friendly?”   
  
A new grin spread on Sombra’s face, “Hold out your hand like this.” She showed him, allowing Reaper to step onto her hand. Slowly, Jesse held his own up. Reaper seemed to contemplate the hand, and the person it was attached to. Finally, he stretched a foot out, waving it before finally making contact to step over. Sombra scratched his cheek, smiling as his eyes closed in bliss, “There ya go, Reaper, your brother’s not bad!”   
  
“I have an owl for a brother… Never woulda thought… Whoa!” Jesse froze, watching Reaper move up his arm to his shoulder. The owl settled, closing his eyes. There was none of the affectionate hair nibbling like Reaper did with Gabe, Jack, and Sombra, but he was content enough to sit on this new person’s shoulder. “Um… Do I just… Do I just leave him there?”   
  
“Yeah, he ain’t gonna hurt you. On purpose.” Sombra started to lead Jesse to the kitchen, then paused, “Unless you do somethin’ stupid that agitates him. He almost took out a repairman’s finger once! Pendejo learned to not poke the owl, it was great!”   
  
Jesse only let out a nervous laugh, “Right… Don’t poke animals you don’t know well… Got it.”   
  
Stepping from the kitchen, Gabriel gently took his owl back from Jesse’s shoulder. “Come here, sleepy bird… Sombra, why don’t you give Jesse a tour of the house? I don’t imagine either one of you wants to hang around a bunch of boring adults talking.”   
  
Saluting, Sombra grabbed Jesse’s wrist, “Aye-aye, captain! C’mon, lemme show you your room!”   
  
Dumbfounded, Jesse followed, “I get a room? To MYSELF?” He paused as they stomped up the stairs, “Does it got an actual door on it?”   
  
Sombra stopped at the top of the stairs, looking at Jesse with a touch of alarm, “The hell kinda shit YOU been through? What kinda bedroom has a fake door? I can understand some of the whole, room to yourself thing, but the DOOR?”   
  
Jesse only shrugged, “One place we stayed at when I was a kid, the bedrooms had bead curtains. Another place, my…” He stopped, wondering what to call the people who’d abandoned them. Finally, he said, “Former parents… Took the door off’a my room.” Actually, that was several places. But from the reaction so far, he wasn’t saying that. “So speakin’ of…”   
  
“Right…” Walking down the hall, Sombra pointed to a heavily decorated door, “That one’s my room.”   
  
“Why you got a room here?”   
  
“Because I’m Uncle Gabe’s most favorite niece. And I gotta get away from my blood family now and then. Too smothering.” She went up to the door up the hall, opening it. “This one’s yours. It ain’t got decorations yet, they wanted you to do that part.”   
  
Looking around, Jesse walked into the room. The walls were still bare, and the sheets on the bed were as nondescript as possible, with the only other furniture being a dresser and a desk. “All this space… Is MINE?” He removed his hat and held it to his chest for a moment, before he walked over to the bed and fell down face first on it. When he inhaled, it smelled of the laundry soap and fabric softener that had been used on the bedding.   
  
“Check the view, you get to see the whole back yard!”   
  
Lifting his face from the bed, Jesse’s eyes were wide. He scrambled up and went to it, shoving the window pane up and open. “No bars!”   
  
Sombra smiled, joining him at the window, “Yeah, it’s part’a why I like stayin’ with Uncle Gabe. I can open my window and let the night air in, and I don’t gotta hear gunshots up the street.” When she noticed the look Jesse gave her, she asked, “What? My old man runs a little hole-in-the-wall coffee shop and you don’t live in a neighborhood like THIS doin’ THAT. Plus when you got kids to take care of, but also don’t want a huge commute…”   
  
Jesse sighed, turning back to look out the window. “Better’n whatever THEY were doin’.” He became silent, staring at the pool, before his gaze went to the neighboring yard. Gripping the windowsill, Jesse leaned out, eyes wide and jaw slack. “Is that a  _ monkey _ next door?!”   
  
Reaching up, Sombra yanked Jesse back in by the back of his shirt, then smacked him on the back of the head, “Quiet or he’ll hear you! First of all, he’s a gorilla, not a monkey. Monkeys have TAILS. Do you see a tail? Didn’t think so. Second, he’s a scientist.” She motioned vaguely up at the sky, “There’s a buncha gorillas up on the moon at some kinda… Lunar space colony thing.” Or, there  _ were _ . She wasn’t going to tell him quite that much. “You’ll meet the neighbors eventually, don’t worry. Now come on, there’s more house to see!”   
  
By the time they concluded their tour of the home, the adults had finished talking. Both social workers stood up, shaking hands with both Gabe and Jack. Angela turned to Jesse, smiling, “Would you like to see where Gabriel works, Jesse?”   
  
Jesse stopped and stared at her, remembering remotely that the man worked at the zoo. His eyes slowly widened, jaw slack, as he processed just what Angela was suggesting.   
  
“Jesse?” Angela walked around the table, gently touching his shoulder. “Are you okay?”   
  
“I’ve… The zoo? You want us to go… To the zoo?”   
  
There was a looked shared between everybody, before Gabe asked, “Have you never been?”   
  
“No,” Jesse said, shifting where he stood. “Ain’t never been offered. P-  _ Those people _ , never took me, and none’a the foster families could handle it. Or so they told me.”   
  
Gabriel slapped the table, “Then we need to go post-haste! You need a zoo experience!”   
  
“I should point out that I didn’t go to a zoo until I met you,” Jack said, tapping Gabe on the shoulder with his knuckle. “Indiana farm boys don’t go to zoos much.”   
  
“Okay but you’re a farm boy, that’s acceptable.” Gabriel grabbed his keys, “Now, to the zoo!”   
  
Jack stopped him, “We can go tomorrow. We still have dinner, and getting to know Jesse more, him getting to know us more, getting to know Reaper and Sombra… And I bet everybody’s hungry, anyway!”   
  
Right on cue, Jesse’s stomach loudly growled. There was some shared laughter between the adults, before Gabriel conceded, “Fine, fine, let’s go eat! The zoo’ll be there in the morning.”   
  
Angela and Jesse returned to the hotel room hours later, after dinner and a board game. Walking over to his temporary bed, Jesse fell on it face-first, hat falling back slightly.   
  
“Surely you will get changed before you sleep.”   
  
Jesse raised his hand for a moment, then looked up, “How’s a person act at a zoo, exactly?”   
  
Angela paused at the question, brow furrowed. “Generally, you stick with the party you came in with, have fun without causing mayhem, and don’t try to climb in the tiger enclosure. Yelling is common out in open spaces, but if one goes into the nocturnal animals enclosure, they must be quieter.”   
  
“Huh… Okay.”   
  
She walked over and gave his shoulder a pat, “Do not worry, if you are doing something you should not, we will let you know. Now go get changed for bed.”   
  
“Fine, fine!”   
  
When he fell asleep, Jesse didn’t dream about the parents that had left him returning, but instead about the new life he was looking at.

**Author's Note:**

> If ever you think I need to add a tag, please let me know and I will! Like I said up in the tags, I'm shit at tagging. Also, I 100% blame Tumblr for the miniature owl named Reaper, because it was the best way to fit in a Reaper Bean.


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